Advanced Batteries, Accumulators and Fuel Cells. The  conference was held in August 25^th - 28^th, 2019. Main fields of interest of the conference were the research and development of materials designated for modern electrochemical power sources, new investigations in the fields of materials research, applied electrochemistry, corrosion, preparation and properties of nanomaterial structures, non conventional sources of electrical energy including photovoltaic systems, ionic liquids for power sources and their properties, replacement of lithium by sodium or other metals in batteries, electrochromism and practical use of electrochemical power sources including their application. Large-scale applications in transportation and energy storage and special electrochemical technologies were included as well.

On Friday, July 19, 2019 students from Ton Duc Thang University in Vietnam visited Tomas Bata University in Zlin, with which they have been working for a long time. After a tour of the city of Zlin, they also visited the Centre of Polymer Systems where they were particularly interested in current research and laboratory equipment.

Zlín 30.4.2019 - Returning Zlín to the map as a town of footwear, linking footwear research with practice and supporting young promising designers and established footwear companies – all the above should be delivered by the new Footwear Research Centre, which was opened by the Tomas Bata University in Zlín on April 30, 2019. This achievement fulfils the vision of Professor Petr Sáha, who has been trying to bring back footwear to Zlín for years.

April 2, 2019 Czech Television has attracted our rubber testing laboratory. The tire exchange now employs all the tire services, so the newsroom staff also visited the Polymer Systems Center, specifically the unique rubber testing laboratory. Dr. Radek Stoček explained in detail how samples are tested in our center.

In the early evening of 28 February 2019, the 21st edition of the prestigious science prize – Werner von Siemens Award – climaxed with the award ceremony held in the historic building of the Bethlehem Chapel. Besides the main prizes intended for young scientists, students and university teachers, special awards were also given to laureates.

Centre of Polymer Systems has obtained the prestigious HR Award. This success placed the centre among the less than 10 top research institutes in the Czech Republic that can be proud of this award.

Tomas Bata University in Zlín held a ceremony to mark the inauguration of its new Rector, Prof. Ing. Vladimír Sedlařík, Ph.D. on 21 February 2019. The traditional academic ceremony that took place in the TBU Assembly Hall was attended by more than 400 guests from the entire country as well as from abroad.

N-heterocyclic carbenes, compounds featuring carbon atom in oxidation state +II bearing a lone pair of electrons, have numerous applications in both organic and inorganic chemistry. Replacement of carbon atom by its heavier analog from Group 14 (Ge, Sn, Pb) allows to obtain compounds with unique properties, which are, for instance, capable of activation of CO₂ or methane at mild conditions.